The Hunger Games: Mockingjay

'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1' and 'Part 2' sees Jennifer Lawrence return as Katniss Everdeen to take on the tyrannical Capitol once and for all. After surviving yet another round of Hunger Games, she finds herself in the company of the rebels in District 13, thought to have been destroyed by the Capitol. With the help of her comrades, Katniss must stand against President Snow and become the symbol of hope the people of Panem desperately need. But will this last chapter take her life in the process?

While many suspected that In the Heart of the Sea would perform well in its opening weekend at the box office, Ron Howard's seafaring epic delivered incredibly underwhelming numbers, while The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 continued its reign for the fourth week in a row. That's all going to change next weekend when Star Wars: The Force Awakens arrives and completely demolishes the competition — if you can even call it "competition."

Going into this weekend, everyone with an eye on the box office expected to be watching a showdown between The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 and The Good Dinosaur. What no one saw coming was an unexpectedly strong showing from the Christmas-themed horror movie Krampus, which opened in second place…while the latest from Pixar took a shocking drop.

Once families finished feasting on Thanksgiving, they had several options: continue enjoying each other’s company in the privacy of their own home, brave the crowds in search of deals at the retail store of their choice, or nip any potential argument over politics in the bud by heading out to the movies. Option three was apparently a popular one this year, as the overall top 10 for the week was the healthiest it has been in awhile, with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 fending off The Good Dinosaur and Creed, which still performed well.

As expected, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 topped the box office charts this weekend. But like the war in the movie itself, it all feels like something of a hollow victory. That may seem like a weird thing to say about a movie that broke $100 million in its opening weekend, but this is a new low for the series’ box office receipts…and it’s not even close.

We’re all a bit relieved to have the absurdity of Donald Trump’s SNL hosting gig behind us, and the odds are ever in our favor with Elizabeth Banks’ hosting debut. The Hunger Games star forms an alliance with Kenan Thompson for her first SNL promo, and only one of them leaves alive.

Yesterday came news of massive Hunger Games theme park plans. Next summer, a Hunger Games stage show opens in London. But, will the Hunger Games borrow a page from the Harry Potter playbook and launch a new series of films, a la Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? The producer of all four of the Hunger Games movies certainly doesn’t seem to think so.

“I’m going to kill Snow,” says Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen in the latest clip from The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2. And I think we can all agree with the chuckles from Jena Malone’s Johanna Mason, as she declares, “Now you’re talking.” The time for speech-making is done as Katniss prepares to finally take down the man who has caused the districts so much pain in the final installment of The Hunger Games franchise (for now), and we’re right there with her.

Have you ever wanted to participate in The Hunger Games? To know what it feels like to suffer under the boot of a brutal dystopian dictator, only to die in savage combat? Who doesn’t? Well soon you will be able to achieve this beautiful dream of gruesome and horrifying death! In theme park form!

SNL will take a short hiatus after Tracy Morgan’s triumphant return, opening back up on November 7 with a likely bit of controversy, thought we can much more confidently bank on the subsequent outing. November 14 will see the odds ever in our favor, as Hunger Games star Elizabeth Banks takes the stage for the first time as host.